How to Wash a Body Pillow

A body pillow is a useful sleep aid that can relieve pressure and improve sleep posture, helping you feel more rejuvenated when you wake up every morning. However, just like regular pillows and other types of bedding, you also need to clean your body pillows every few months.

Because of its size, washing a body pillow can be a little more complicated, and different materials must be cleaned in different ways. Wash your body pillow correctly and in the simplest way possible with the help of this guide!

We'll explain the differences between pillow materials, and how to clean each one correctly, including our very own multi-use Maternity Body Pillow.

Even if you use a pillow cover, your body pillow can still collect all manner of debris from your hair, your skin, or the air. Usually, this includes dead skin, dust mites, sweat, saliva, and sebum.

Once this debris builds up, it can cause all sorts of issues. It may irritate your skin, cause allergic reactions, and worsen any pre-existing skin or respiratory conditions.

If the pillow harbors a lot of bacteria or grows fungus or mold, it can become a major biohazard that can contribute to disease. Not to mention that these pathogens can make your pillow stink, which makes for unpleasant sleep.

To prevent some of this buildup, replace your pillow cases at least once a week. However, even pillow cases have microscopic gaps, and they may not protect you completely from the debris in your pillow. That's why it's important to wash most body pillows every 3 to 6 months.

Every body pillow has its own washing and cleaning instructions. You should check the tag or visit the manufacturer's website to learn how you can wash your pillow safely.

The main factor that'll impact how you should clean your body pillow is its filling material. The most common filler in body pillows are polyester pearl, memory foam, and feather, but there are many other materials out there.

Polyester and feather are the only materials that can go in the washing machine, while others (especially memory foam) can only be spot cleaned.

Whether machine washable or not, using a pillow cover for your body pillow is a must, as it'll keep your pillow clean and preserve its lifespan.

To keep your life simple, we selected polyester pearls for the WildBird Body Pillow, so you can toss it in the washing machine as needed. As a bonus, it's a very comfortable filling material that can be adjusted for customized firmness and support.

We also carry a collection of body pillow covers to keep your pillow clean and your bed looking stylish.

*WildBird Body Pillow should only be air dried.

Spot Cleaning

Spot cleaning is ideal for keeping your body pillow pristine between washings. This is also the only appropriate cleaning method for dense memory foam or latex pillows.

• To spot clean your pillow, pour a very small amount of dish soap into cool or lukewarm water.
• Deep a cloth in the water and wring out the excess.
• Then, use it to gently wipe the sullied spot on your pillow.
• Once done, leave your pillow somewhere clean and safe to dry.

Machine Washing

Machine washing is the simplest pillow cleaning method, and the best option if you have our WildBird Maternity Pillow.

First, check the pillow tag or product page instructions to confirm that your pillow can be machine washed and at what temperature. For our pregnancy pillow, we recommend washing in cold water.

If you have a buckwheat hull pillow, you will need to remove the filling before placing the pillow main in the washing machine.

Most body pillows can be washed with like-colored items, so you can also throw in your pillow cover or other types of bedding.

Once the cycle is done, follow the drying instructions. Some pillows can go in the dryer on a “low and slow” cycle while others should only be air or line-dried.

Hand Washing

Hand washing isn't an ideal method for cleaning body pillows.

Once you've soaked and saturated a towel, it can be very hard to get all of the moisture out, so hand washing can actually lead to irreparable mildew damage.

That said, if your only option is to hand wash your pillow, we have a few tips.

• Fill a tub with cold or lukewarm water, and add a small amount of hand washing-safe laundry detergent.
• Submerge the pillow in water and massage for a few minutes
• Drain the soapy water, and squeeze the pillow to remove as much water as possible
• Rinse pillow with water and squeeze it repeatedly until all traces of detergent are gone
• Finally, squeeze out as much water as you can using your hands.
• Next, place your pillow in between two towels and massage to release as much remaining moisture.
• Hand your pillow somewhere clean to air dry for several hours, until you're confident it's completely dry.

Dry Cleaning

If your body pillow is stuffed with down or feathers, you might also be able to dry clean it. Check in with your dry cleaner to ensure they can do so safely. If you have the WildBird Maternity Pillow, please do not dry clean or iron it.

Drying a Body Pillow

After you've washed your body pillow, drying it correctly is critical. Leaving any trace of moisture behind can contribute to the growth of mold that will be impossible to remove.

• If you feel like there is a ton of moisture in the pillow after you've washed it, squeeze it out first or do an additional spin cycle.
• With most body pillows, your best bet is to line-dry. Hang the pillow on a clothesline to dry or place it on the top of a drying rack. This is the method we recommend drying the WildBird Pregnancy Pillow.
• Some pillows can be dried in the dryer. Always check manufacturer instructions to confirm. To machine dry your pillow, add a few dryer balls, and run the dryer on a “low and slow” cycle.

Versatile and Easy to Clean: WildBird Body Pillow

If you're on the market for a body pillow that'll be comfortable, soft, and easy to clean, do yourself a favor with the WildBird Body Pillow. It's machine-washable, and pairs with our zippable linen pillow covers to ensure long-term cleanliness.

We've developed it with the needs of pregnant people and parents in mind, so it's perfect to use during pregnancy. It also doubles as a nursing pillow to prevent discomfort during breastfeeding or bottle feeding.

This versatile body pillow offers customized firmness for every need. It helps support and align your body during sleep, to help you wake up with less pain and fatigue.